Think of Coastal Karnataka and images of lush beaches, water sports and Yakshagana come to mind. Add to that list Dosthi , one of the first multi-genre Hindi music album coming from there . The brainchild of composer Loy Valentine Saldanha and lyricist Melwyn Antony D'souza, Dosthi is a Muzik247 Tulu release and features a range of new singers and musicians.
Obviously excited to be making waves in the music circuit, Loy says over phone that it is a very proud achievement for them to bring out this first-of-its-kind album from Coastal Karnataka. “This is a dream project. It’s amazing to see the two years of hard work bearing fruit and getting us recognition. We are thoroughly kicked about the whole project.”
Having dabbled in Hindi jingles as well as theme songs, nationally and internationally, the duo has put together 11 tracks, including an English song with its reprise version, in this Hindi album with elements of Konkani and Tulu.
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Recalling the album’s origins, Loy says the concept started with the creation of the title song. “I was studying sound engineering and music production in Chennai in 2008. One of my music assignments was to write a small portion of a song which received accolades from my mentor. My friends, with whom I shared it , were equally positive in their feedback. I teamed up with my friend Melwyn, who also happened to be my bandmate and neighbour, and we completed the song together. The motivation and encouragement we received led to one thing after the other and in the same year, we released our first Konkani album which also got a positive feedback and kick-started our journey.”
On the process of bringing together Hindi and elements of Konkani and Tulu elements, Loy says they had already tasted success with their Konkani album. “We felt Hindi, being a common language that everyone understands, was the obvious choice for us to promote our work to people.”
While the underlying theme is centred on the beautiful bonds of friendship, he points out that they also want people who listen to their album to appreciate the hard work put into it. “I don’t think people even know that there are artistes capable of bringing these elements together. As friends, the bond between us while working on this album has grown stronger. While it’s ultimately all about friendship, in this journey of music, Melwyn and I have overcome a lot of obstacles together. It’s nice to tell our listeners that friendship is a beautiful gift. If true, it will survive the hardest of storms. We have stuck together and will continue to work together in the future.”
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They hope the tracks will connect well with the listeners. “This is personal song-writing and singing, at the end of the day – a perfect reflection of our lives. So we believe people can relate to the music and the lyrics,” says Loy.
The duo aspires to continue working on their compositions and do more live shows. “We are already part of a desi rock band called Charitra so we want to reach Bollywood soon and make a name for ourselves. Of course, it is only achievable if we work hard which we are confident of.”
A good time to be a full-time musician? “Definitely,” says Loy. “If you are really focussed, want to go somewhere and be something, I would suggest a career in music. This field gives you happiness and an unparalleled satisfaction. It’s what we love to do and it is anytime better than a 9 to 5 job.” Loy adds that aspiring musicians should stick to their dreams and never give up. “Obstacles and disappointments will come. Music will take time. Don’t lose patience and if you have your loved ones backing you, stick to it.”